In “Songs From the Science Frontier,” Stillwater’s Harper takes cutting-edge science research and explains it to kids in song format: phototactic bacteria, wheat genomics and luminescence dating, among other things. It’s a testament to his lyrical ability that it’s not only explained well, but rhymes. Talk about challenging yourself. With a project like that, the […]
Eclectic
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Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx — We’re New Here
I was summarily confused when I found a remix of Scott-Heron’s work by Jamie xx (percussionist for the aforementioned band) on my desk. In my opinion, The xx could stand to be remixed by Scott-Heron (adding some heart and soul), not the other way around. Jamie xx makes Scott-Heron into his own personal sampling bank […]
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Duke Garwood — Dreamboatsafari
After hearing Duke Garwood’s chilled-out guitar ruminations “Jesus Got a Gun” and “Summer Gold” (the latter of which I featured on OKS), I was totally stoked for an album based around acoustic talking blues. Instead, “Dreamboatsafari” is mostly skronk-heavy blues/jazz disc with a couple mellow tunes thrown in. And when I mean skronk-heavy, I mean […]
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Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata — The Hills Are Alive
Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata’s “The Hills Are Alive” is a cult album if there ever was one. The premise is bizarre: The awesomely acronymed BRO decided to reinterpret songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” in modern music genres, like Motown, prog rock, R&B, country, funk and more. Many of these tunes are original […]
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Ethel’ Oshtali: Music for String Quartet
Written entirely by students of Ada’s Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy in 2008-09, “Oshtali: Music for String Quartet” is an album of classical arrangements performed by Ethel, an acclaimed, contemporary New York string quartet that’s performed and recorded with a bevy of renowned orchestral acts and pop artists. The 16-song album was recorded at Oklahoma City […]
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Ali Harter – No Bees, No Honey
e road / I’ve got that feeling that we gotta long way to go / Where we going, no one really knows / Let’s close up that house and get out on the road.” “No Bees, No Honey” was recorded at The House in Choctaw with producer Matt Dylan Street, a multi-instrumentalist who deserves considerable […]
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Ben Rector – Jingles and Bells
rth unwrapping. “Jingles and Bells” is more cookies and hot cocoa than Scotch and hot toddies, but the six classic tracks are far from candy cane-coated. With its easy organ, finger snaps and sleigh bells, album opener “Let It Snow” is a delightful swinger that features a baritone Rector intertwining with himself, echoing up-front lyrics […]
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The Rum Fellows – Okie Maritime Music For the Landlocked Pirate
With nary a sea in sight, The Rum Fellows still set sail. On deck with the Norman pirate septet: singer/guitarist Charley Reeves, fiddle player Kent Graber, banjo player Dan Edwards, mandolin player Randy Lewis, bassist Jeff Richardson, percussionist Doyle Dodd and concertina player Amber Vallee’ all quick to abandon posts for a swim in the […]
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Wade Crow – The Crazy Social
The most interesting music venue in Oklahoma City could very well be inside Wade Crow‘s mind. Club Crow isn’t a dark corner, but it’s definitely a hole in the wall’ the kind of place one can visit to hide in plain view amongst friendly, staggering strangers. The Oklahoma City musician’s latest, “The Crazy Social,” is […]
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Tony Bennett featuring the Count Basie Big Band – A Swingin’ Christmas
Sony Leading fantastic swing arrangements, Tony Bennett’s iconic voice commands the Count Basie Big Band for an album of jazzy Christmas classics perfect for the best kinds of holiday parties. The always confident Bennett swaggers through holiday standards like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” a throwback big-band track with blazing horns and meandering piano interludes. […]